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Older people, especially women, are increasingly abusing alcohol
Last reviewed: 09.08.2025
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A study in two northern European countries has found that hazardous and binge drinking is on the rise among older people, particularly women – and the trends could be shared with other Western countries.
Alcohol consumption typically declines with age, partly because physiological changes and increasing health problems increase risk. However, alcohol consumption among older adults, particularly women, has increased in recent decades and often exceeds low-risk guidelines. This partly reflects more liberal attitudes toward alcohol among baby boomers and those with greater social and financial wealth, as well as common misconceptions about the health benefits of alcohol.
In some Western countries, more than a third of older people drink alcohol in a risky manner, which is becoming an increasingly pressing public health issue as populations age. Yet older people remain underrepresented in research.
In their study, published in the journal Alcohol, Clinical & Experimental Research, researchers from Sweden and Finland examined the prevalence of hazardous and episodic (binge) drinking among community-dwelling older adults, taking into account gender and other factors.
The study involved 11,747 people born between 1930 and 1955. They completed questionnaires about their alcohol use in the past year and were classified into one of three groups: abstainers, low-risk drinkers, or high/hazardous risk drinkers. Some participants were also classified as occasional heavy drinkers (having six or more drinks on one occasion).
Demographic data and indicators of depression, sleep quality, loneliness, life crises (loss of loved ones), religious activity, inner strength (resilience), cardiovascular and other vascular diseases, body mass index (BMI), level of independence in everyday life and self-assessment of health were collected. Then, using statistical analysis, patterns in alcohol consumption by age, gender and other factors were sought.
It turned out that 30% of men and 10% of women drink alcohol dangerously, which is consistent with data from other countries. Episodic ("binge") drinking is also more common in men than in women (13% versus 3%). With age, the likelihood of dangerous and binge drinking decreases, and the proportion of abstainers increases.
The most notable change was the narrowing of the gender gap, driven by increased consumption among women. Women with higher education and higher incomes were more likely to be in the risky drinking group than those with less education and modest means. Socioeconomic disadvantage was associated with abstinence in both groups. Among older women, high levels of internal resilience were associated with lower odds of hazardous or binge drinking. Bereavement increased the risk of binge drinking, and depression increased the risk of hazardous drinking.
Marriage and cohabitation were associated with lower odds of abstinence in men but did not affect the odds of hazardous or binge drinking. Those who rated their health as good or excellent were more likely to continue drinking (and, for men, more likely to drink at risk). Most participants with cardiovascular disease rated their health as good but were still more likely to be hazardous drinkers, and men with these diagnoses were more likely to binge drink.
Factors associated with low-risk consumption or abstinence included active religious practice, good sleep quality, moderate BMI, taking multiple medications, decreased independence in daily life, and living in certain regions (which may reflect cultural traditions).
Increased life expectancy and increasing problematic drinking among older adults highlight the need for regular screening and interventions that address psychological and medical risks. Interventions could focus on strengthening resilience to psychosocial stressors (bereavement, depression) and disseminating accurate information about the cardiovascular and overall health risks of alcohol. The study design precludes causal inferences, and the work has other limitations.